RedPen Editing Clichés

Clichés are expressions that have been used so much, they no longer carry any weight.

Your characters can use them in dialogue – no problem – and it might be useful to give such a trait to one particular character so that he/she stands out from the rest of your cast. Avoid having them all talk in clichés though!

My favourite is, for obvious reasons, ‘chasing the rainbow’.

Here are some more examples. In tune with the spirit of my ‘Safari Supper’ novel, I’ve confined myself to those involving animals. There are, however, many more.

Ants in the pants

Bear with a sore head

Bee’s knees

Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Champing at the bit

Chewing the cud

Closing the stable door after the horse has bolted

Crocodile tears

Cry wolf

Curiosity killed the cat

Dog in the manger

Donkey’s years

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth

Every dog has its day

Fish in troubled waters

Fish out of water

Flea in your ear

Fly in the ointment

Go the whole hog

Go to the dogs

Hair of the dog

Lead a dog’s life

Lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink

More than one way to skin a cat

Pig in a poke

Playing ducks and drakes

Plenty of fish in the sea

Pretty kettle of fish

Putting the cart before the horse

Queer fish

Say ‘Boo’ to a goose

She’s no chicken

Spitting feathers

Take the tiger by the tail

Teach an old dog new tricks

Whale of a time

Wild goose chase

Wolf in sheep’s clothing

It’s recommended that clichés be avoided, but they can be useful for injecting humour. Former Liverpool FC manager, Bill Shankly is quoted as having said: ‘Football is not a matter of life and death. It’s far more important than that.’ It’s even mentioned on this Facebook page.